Niners Nation
The 49ers should have a spring in their step at OTAs next week following extensions for George Kittle, Brock Purdy and Fred Warner.
It’s the time of the year to be optimistic. The days are longer, the sun is shining (even here in England!) and, most importantly, the 49ers have resolved each of their three contract issues before the start of OTAs.
It’s a turn of events would have seemed impossible last year, when the 2024 offseason and the contract dramas involving Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams laid the foundation for a monstrous Super Bowl hangover and a 6-11 season.
But with George Kittle, Brock Purdy and Fred Warner all signed to long-term extensions, it’s time to officially declare this the ‘good vibes offseason’ for San Francisco, with the surprisingly speedy resolution to the negotiations with their All-Pro tight end, starting quarterback, and All-Pro linebacker allowing the 49ers to focus purely on the matter at hand – getting back to Super Bowl contention.
Last offseason was defined by continual questions over the status of contract discussions with Aiyuk and, to a lesser extent, Williams. Such inquiries will not be required this year, with the distraction of protracted holdouts removed from the picture.
Getting contracts done early does obviously not guarantee a successful season. However, the likes of Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa have spoken in previous years about how their contract sagas impacted their play in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Kittle, Purdy and Warner can attack preparations for the new season without uncertainty surrounding their long-term future hanging over their heads.
That is especially crucial for Purdy, who had spoken openly about wanting to get a deal done before OTAs and can now concentrate solely on furthering his rapport with the likes of Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings and establishing one with new pass-catching additions such as Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins.
The speed with which the 49ers concluded their major business should also serve to help the locker room atmosphere. It sends a message about the team’s willingness to negotiate in good faith and ensures other veteran players do not have to deal with questions about their teammates’ negotiations, as Kittle often did last year when asked about Aiyuk and Williams.
All that said, the remaining months are not without their challenges for the 49ers, who will go into OTA offseason workouts next Tuesday with several questions surrounding the roster.
Arguably the primary two questions concern the secondary. There is reason for doubt around the third cornerback spot. Will the 49ers move Deommodore Lenoir back to outside corner full-time and trust a 5ft 8in third-round rookie in Upton Stout to play the nickel, or will they instead put their faith in Tre Brown to play outside corner on base downs?
Perhaps of even greater concern is the situation at safety. Malik Mustapha is likely to miss the start of the season after tearing his ACL in the 2024 season finale, creating a hole next to Ji’Ayir Brown.
Right now,...
